Santelli: 2012 draft website 'cool'

After POLITICO’s story on efforts to encourage CNBC’s Rick Santelli to run for president, the financial journalist was asked about the prospect Tuesday morning while on-air.

Squawk Box’s Joe Kernan had some fun with Santelli, saying, “On POLITICO, huge piece yesterday, you gotta look this up. There’s some guy in Nevada who’s trying, he’s registered the domain DraftSantelliForPresident2012.com. He’s spoken to Rick, which Rick hasn’t actually copped to that on air yet, Rick. But it’s an actual movement.”

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Santelli admitted he was flattered.

“It’s pretty humbling and it’s pretty cool and I have spoken to Jeff Kahn and I think it’s wonderful,” said Santelli, referring to the retired Nevada businessman who’s behind the website. “I think it’s wonderful. I’m not interested in getting into politics but I’m certainly not going to poke fun at something. As a matter of fact, I think all of the people involved with that website, I thank them. It’s a great country. I really like my day job here but, you know, one never knows how these things turn out, I guess.”

After being ribbed by his on-air colleagues for not ruling out a run, Santelli teased one aspect of a potential Santelli presidency:

“I don’t know if the country is ready because if I did have the job, it’d be one term, and I’d do it my way. And I tell you what: When we’d have press conferences, it wouldn’t be these little orchestrated things with people in back saying, ‘Time to applaud!’ It’d be the real deal.”